How Music Can Transform Your Writing
Are you a writer who needs music to write, or do you need complete silence?
Every writer has a personal preference. There's no right or wrong answer to this question. It's whatever helps you focus and stay motivated.
Despite personal preferences, I recommend that all writers have a playlist of songs.
Music is a powerful, emotional art form that can help our writing through inspiration and motivation.
You don't have to play the music while writing to enjoy the positive effects. Let's dive into the ways that a playlist of music you resonate with can impact your writing.
History of Music and Creativity
Music has been around as long as humans have. Since the dawn of history we've created rhythms through drumming or chanting. Music is universal. Every culture around the world and every language has some kind of music. This could be chants and prayers, or hymns and mantras. All are a form of music.
There are so many kinds of music and genres, more than I could list here. People have different musical tastes, preferring a few genres and disliking others. No matter what your personal taste in music is, almost everyone in the world can agree that music as a whole is good.
Music is an art form to express ourselves, like writing. It's a way people are able to be creative and connect with others. Musicians from around the world enjoy what they do because they're able to emotionally connect with a group of people.
Music and Poetry
All poetry is music, and all music with lyrics is poetry.
Poetry is a genre that relies heavily on how it's spoken rhythmically or performed in front of others. You can classify poetry as music for that reason.
Songs with lyrics often utilize many of the same techniques poetry writers do. There's rhythm, rhymes, repetition, and short phrases or fragments.
Some genres where this is visible is rap, hip-hop, and R&B, which originated from spoken word poets and oral storytellers within the African American community.
Music and writing have always been heavily intertwined and connected. Music tells stories, just like writing does.
Motivation and Inspiration
So many writers suggest having a playlist of music you like to help your writing because music can inspire us and boost our motivation.
When I listen to music I get creatively inspired by the lyrics, the themes, the story, the beat, and the mood. It creates ideas in my mind about the stories I want to write.
For example, I can imagine specific scenes to some songs. Songs with fast-paced beats, heavier and clash instruments, and flashy lyrics remind me fight scenes or battles.
Mellow beats, nature sounds, and softer lyrics can reflect a peaceful, happy scene. Even sad songs are important for imagining lower plot beats when characters are stuck or grieving.
High beats and fast pop music can help me write faster and be motivated for longer.
Character and Mood Playlists
Many authors make playlists for their characters. Why? Because we need to know our characters on a deep level, and music provides that connection. Music is emotional. You can tell a lot about a person from which songs they resonate with.
Some writers also many playlists for specific projects. They consider if it's fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, etc. and create a mood or genre playlist based on that.
These playlists are good to return to right before working on a certain project because they can get us into the mood to write that project. Playlists can remind us what the character is like, their point of view, and how they interact with others.
Sometimes I like to make playlists for characters or specific projects. I don't always use them, but when I want to return to the headspace, I can play the songs that remind me of it.
Every writer is different. Do what feels best for you and your works! These are just some of the ways that music can inspire creativity and help us write poetry, books, and short stories.
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I hope you have a great week, and keep on writing!